Darius Boyd

The process of re-signing Boyd has taken a long time due to it being the last contract the 30-year-old will sign before he hangs up the boots. 

Both parties want every little detail of the contract to be perfect, and the Broncos are working around the clock with Boyd's manager to get the deal done. 

There is no danger of Boyd going elsewhere, with the Australian and Queensland representative wanting to finish his career in Brisbane under the guidance of coach Wayne Bennett. 

‌Widely regarded as the best fullback in the game, the Brisbane skipper would be taking a huge risk moving out of the position he has played at for the majority of his career. 

His development in the No.1 jersey has been extraordinary in recent years, with the 29-year-old now occupying the position for both Queensland and Australia. 

But all that will be put on the line when halfback Ben Hunt departs the club to join the St George Illawarra Dragons at season's end. 

Akin to watching the normally unflappable Darren Lockyer fall to the ground and punch the Suncorp Stadium turf when the Storm stole away a semi-final win in the final minute in 2008, Boyd saw in an instant a premiership victory evaporate into thin air.

Historian and statistician David Middleton has charted every aspect of rugby league over the 30 years of his Rugby League Annual publication and has named Boyd as one of his top five players of 2016.

Extra padding has been put in place behind the in-goals and advertisements have been removed for extra space.

In previous years, Kangaroos Luke Lewis and Brett Morris were injured in separate incidents at the 2013 World Cup after crashing into the fence.

Australian fullback Darius Boyd has his concerns but has been ensured he will be safe.

"Mal's been pretty good with preparing us," Boyd said.

In 20 appearances in the green and gold, Boyd is yet to finish on the losing side and wants to ensure facing a Bennett-coached team will be the only first he'll experience at the London Olympic Stadium next Sunday.

Fresh off receiving the Paul Morgan Medal as Brisbane's best player for 2016, Boyd will line up at fullback against New Zealand in Perth on Saturday night, just the fourth time in 19 Tests that he has played in his preferred position.

It's a common thought in rugby league circles that a top four finish is crucial to a team's premiership chances, a fair assessment when you look at the recent history of the competition.

Since the NRL changed the competition to its current eight-team finals series in 1999, no team outside the top four has ever won the premiership.

In fact, no team has won the NRL grand final from outside the top four since the Bulldogs beat Manly in 1995.

But you only have to go two years prior to find another side that accomplished the feat – Brisbane.

Boyd's 24th Origin appearance will be his first at his preferred position of fullback and he is fully aware of the importance of his role in the Maroons' quest to register a win in Game One of the 2016 Holden State of Origin Series.

As a youngster growing up on the Gold Coast Boyd would marvel at the way Darren Lockyer linked with his outside men and is using the presence of Slater in Maroons camp this week to nail the areas a fullback and his wingers need to get right in the Origin arena.

Now in its fourth year, the NRL State of Mind campaign has reached more than 10 million people across Australia and New Zealand, with the aim of helping to reduce the stigma around mental illness, stimulate help-seeking behaviours and increase mental health literacy amongst communities.

The funding was officially announced at a Queensland Parliamentary Friends of Rugby League luncheon with the Queensland Origin team joining the Queensland Premier, Treasurer and members of the NRL and QRL in support of the fight against mental illness.